Sr. Liability Trial Attorney

Zurich•Maitland, FL

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Zurich is looking for a Sr. Liability Trial Attorney to join our in-house Staff Legal team. This Trial Attorney will be responsible for representing the commercial insureds of a prestigious and financially stable commercial insurance carrier, by preparing and trying high complexity, high exposure General Liability and Commercial Auto personal injury cases. At Zurich North America Claims we acknowledge that work life-balance and flexibility are a priority when it comes to choosing your next career move. Designed with our employees' needs in mind, the ZNA Claims hybrid work model emphasizes flexibility, allowing claims employees to conduct individual work in their preferred location, while facilitating in-person connections and collaborative activities when meaningful and valuable. While the model provides a high level of flexibility and autonomy, occasional circumstances requiring in-office attendance should be expected. The candidate selected for this opportunity should be able to report out of Zurich’s Maitland Florida office in the Orlando area or work from home in the Tampa Florida area and will handle cases in central Florida, Jacksonville and the Florida panhandle. Ready for a career move? Consider working for a company with a global footprint that offers an incentive plan, terrific benefits including a dollar -for- dollar 401K Match and a second 401K contribution, flexible work options, a hybrid work schedule and a great culture. The selected candidate will perform duties encompassing all aspects of insurance defense, including initial investigation and legal analysis and advice, preparing and filing legal pleadings and documents, performing legal research, preparing for and conducting pre-trial discovery, preparing for and aggressively handling hearings and trials, and conducting post-trial activities where appropriate. We look for demonstrated case analysis ability and a track record of proven trial and negotiation skills, along with the ability to work independently and without substantial supervision. The successful candidate must have strong computer skills and be able to handle remote team based work which requires them to use video conferencing, task assignments and other computer based systems.

Requirements

Juris Doctor and 7 or more years of experience in the Litigation area
Active member in good standing of the Florida State Bar
Experience with Microsoft Office and Adobe
Experience working with Lexis or Westlaw
Knowledge of the insurance industry, claims and the insurance defense litigation legal environment

Nice To Haves

Experience handling insurance industry claims and general commercial litigation, including but not limited to wrongful death, commercial motor vehicle torts, products and premises liability, and personal injury, from inception through trial.
Must be well organized with good analytical skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, proactive approach to file handling and caseloads, and able to work independently as well as within a team environment.
First chair jury trial experience
Ability to budget costs and calculate exposure for clients.
Efficient work habits, knowledge of billables and diary review with substantive and procedural legal knowledge.
Understands the staff counsel function and role in overall business.
Prior experience in an insurance defense environment
Strong negotiation skills
Effective problem solving skills
Experience working in a team-based environment
Strong collaboration skills
PC literate

Responsibilities

Duties encompassing all aspects of insurance defense, including initial investigation and legal analysis and advice
Preparing and filing legal pleadings and documents
Performing legal research
Preparing for and conducting pre-trial discovery
Preparing for and aggressively handling hearings and trials
Conducting post-trial activities where appropriate